List of cities in Pennsylvania

Map of the United States with Pennsylvania highlighted

This is a list of cities in Pennsylvania, of which there are 57. Cities may theoretically be first-class, second-class, second-class A, or third-class (of which there are 54), according to population and adoption of certain ordinances. However, all first-class (of which there is 1), second-class (of which there is 1), and second-class A (of which there is 1) cities, as well as 24 third-class cities, have adopted Home Rule Charters, which change a city's relationship with the state so much that they are generaly no longer considered to be a city under state law. However, they are still considered cities for classification purposes. Unlike other similar lists for Pennsylvania's towns and boroughs and townships, this list does include cities with Home Rule Charters, as, unlike in the previous cases, excluding them would severely limit the comprehensibility of this list. As in those previous cases, however, it should be strongly emphasized that these are not really cities under state law, and they are therefore also listed in "List of Pennsylvania Municipalities and Counties with Home Rule Charters, Optional Charters, or Optional Plans," and are indicated below.

In addition to Home Rule Charters, third-class cities were able to adopt Optional Charters from 1957 to 1972, and all cities (since 1972) have been able to adopt Optional Plans. Optional Charters and Plans function approximately the same way, the major difference being that new applications for the former are no longer accepted and that the latter has been generalized to apply to any municipality in the state. The third-class cities which adopted Optional Charters before 1972 and have not since adopted Home Rule Charters, of which there are 11, still retain them. In addition, 3 third-class cities have Optional Plans. Optional Charters and Plans function mostly to allow the city (or any other municipality, in the case of Optional Plans) to design its own form of local government, but do not significantly change the relationship between the city (or other municipality) and the state, and therefore these cities are still considered cities under state law. Finally, the City of Parker employs a unique (for Pennsylvania cities) form of local government, that of the weak mayor council form, which is established under a special law uniquely for that city; it is still considered a city under state law. Because of Home Rule Charters, Optional Charters, Optional Plans, and Parker's unique situation, only 14 of Pennsylvania's cities still use one of the two standard forms of Pennsylvania city government, the council-manager or mayor-council forms.

Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania and the fifth most populous city in the United States.

Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in the state.

Allentown, the state's third largest city.

Erie, the state's fourth-most populous city.

Reading, the fifth-most populous.

Scranton, the sixth-largest.

Bethlehem, the seventh-largest.

Lancaster, the eighth-largest.

Harrisburg, ninth-largest city and capital of the state.

1. ^↑As noted above, these designations do not have any legal meaning for those cities with Home Rule Charters, but they are useful for categorization purposes.

See also

• List of municipalities in Pennsylvania
• List of counties in Pennsylvania
• List of Pennsylvania Municipalities and Counties with Home Rule Charters, Optional Charters, or Optional Plans
• List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania
• List of townships in Pennsylvania

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg (capital)
Topics	Index Delegations Government History Geography Geology Law Pennsylvanians State parks Symbols Visitor attractions
Society	Agriculture Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Gambling Politics Sports
Metro areas	Altoona Baltimore-Washington Erie Harrisburg–Carlisle Johnstown Lancaster Lebanon Lehigh Valley New York Philadelphia Pittsburgh Reading Scranton‑Wilkes-Barre State College Williamsport York-Hanover
Largest cities	Allentown Altoona Bethlehem Butler Chester DuBois Easton Erie Greensburg Harrisburg Hazleton Johnstown Lancaster Lebanon McKeesport New Castle Philadelphia Pittsburgh Pottsville Reading Scranton Sunbury Wilkes-Barre Williamsport York
Largest municipalities	Abington Bensalem Bethel Park Bristol Cheltenham Cranberry Darby Falls Hampden Haverford Hempfield Lower Macungie Lower Makefield Lower Merion Lower Paxton Manheim McCandless Middletown Millcreek Township Monroeville Mount Lebanon Norristown Northampton North Huntingdon Penn Hills Radnor Ridley Ross Shaler Spring State College Tredyffrin Upper Darby Upper Merion Warminster West Chester Whitehall York Township
Regions	Allegheny Mountains Allegheny National Forest Allegheny Plateau Atlantic Coastal Plain Bald Eagle Valley Blue Ridge Central Coal Region Cumberland Valley Delaware Valley Dutch Country Eastern Endless Mountains Great Valley Mahoning Valley Happy Valley Laurel Highlands Lehigh Valley Main Line Moshannon Valley Nittany Valley Northeastern Northern Tier Northern Northwestern North Penn Valley Ohio Valley Oil Region Oley Valley Pennsylvania Highlands Penns Valley Philicon Valley Piedmont Pocono Mountains Ridge and Valley Saucon Valley South Central Southeastern Southern Southwestern Susquehanna Valley Western Wyoming Valley
Counties	Adams Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bedford Berks Blair Bradford Bucks Butler Cambria Cameron Carbon Centre Chester Clarion Clearfield Clinton Columbia Crawford Cumberland Dauphin Delaware Elk Erie Fayette Forest Franklin Fulton Greene Huntingdon Indiana Jefferson Juniata Lackawanna Lancaster Lawrence Lebanon Lehigh Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mercer Mifflin Monroe Montgomery Montour Northampton Northumberland Perry Philadelphia Pike Potter Schuylkill Snyder Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Tioga Union Venango Warren Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming York